Molecular biogeography of Europe: Pleistocene cycles and postglacial trends
The climatic cycles with subsequent glacial and intergalcial periods have had a great impact on the distribution and evolution of species. Using genetic analytical tools considerably increased our understanding of these processes. In this review I therefore give an overview of the molecular biogeogr...
| Published in: | Frontiers in Zoology |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
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BioMed Central
2007
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| Online Access: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1868914 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17439649 https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-9994-4-11 |
| Summary: | The climatic cycles with subsequent glacial and intergalcial periods have had a great impact on the distribution and evolution of species. Using genetic analytical tools considerably increased our understanding of these processes. In this review I therefore give an overview of the molecular biogeography of Europe. For means of simplification, I distinguish between three major biogeographical entities: (i) "Mediterranean" with Mediterranean differentiation and dispersal centres, (ii) "Continental" with extra-Mediterranean centres and (iii) "Alpine" and/or "Arctic" with recent alpine and/or arctic distribution patterns. These different molecular biogeographical patterns are presented using actual examples. |
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